HTML5 ARTICLE

A Desktop on Every Smartphone

Sometimes it feels like the end user is mostly fought for, but never really thought of in terms of learning curve with devices. And, to be fair, familiarity with how an operating system works is a big part of building brand loyalty. There are still PC users out there who won’t even consider buying a Mac simply because they’re more comfortable with the Windows layout, at least until Windows 8 came out and a few of those people just sort of got lost in time and space, floating around, disoriented about what they could touch and forever looking for a non-existent task bar. HTML5 is going to rescue those lost souls and make life easier for the rest of us.

Ericom Software, provider of access solutions and desktop virtualization application solutions, announced recently that AccessNow will be available for VMware View version 2.4. Organizations that use VMware View are going to have the ability to roll out Windows based applications to large groups of users across a very wider range of devices without having to rely on full access to the virtual desktop. The update will also include new language support (including Japanese and Korean) for touch and keyboard as well as audio support for mobile Apple (News - Alert) devices running iOS 6 or greater, and localized user interface (UI) based on location.

What it all comes down to is that Ericom’s accessibility solution seems committed to, well, accessibility. With support for a staggering array of devices including iPhones and iPads, Macs and PCs, Android (News - Alert) running devices, Chromebooks and even the oft forgotten BlackBerry, AccessNow is positioning VMware View as a business solution for the emerging (though slightly stalled) bring your own device workplace.

Because a virtual desktop is browser-based, organizations can cut down on time spent training end users to navigate through different interfaces depending on their device of choice. For the same reason IT cost are cut too since a device-universal solution that is, again, browser based, does not need to be installed in the same way certain Software as a Service solutions have to.

What seems most encouraging is how virtual desktop can enhance devices. Take the Chromebook, which is frequently used by educational institutions. Not having a local desktop might limit certain educational areas that for some reason can’t be performed in the space provided through Google (News - Alert) Drive, but the ability to run Windows applications either through or outside of a full virtual desktop space, not only makes the low cost hardware solution more versatile, but it also solves a big obstacle some organizations might have in wanting to adopt it as a device of choice.

In the end, what Ericom is demonstrating with the new VMware View and AccessNow is that the traditional obstacles that have resulted from a device market that is fighting for customer loyalty are being dissolved by innovative third-party solutions. Access is going to be the name of the game in the near future.